Improvement in apparatus and processes for canning and preserving meats



2 Sheets-Sheet l N; H. SHIPL'EY. APPARATUS AND PROCESS FOR-GANNING'AND PRESERVING MEATS,

' FRUITS, VEGETABLES, 6w.

N0. ;111,264. Patented Jan. 24, 1871.

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H. SHIPL E Y. APPARATUS AND PROGESSFOR UANNING AND PRESBRVING MEATS,

' FRUITS, VEGETABLES, 6w.

No. 111,264. Patented Jain. 24, 1871.

Manama/Malina gamma:

near I States pace affirm Letters Patent No. 111,264,. dated January 24, 1871.

IMPROVEMENT IN APPARATUS AND PROCESSES FOR CANNING AND PRESERVING MEATS, FRUITS, VEGETABLES, 8w. I I

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

.To all when: it may concern Be it known that I,.,NIGHOLA$ 'H. SHIPLEY, of Baltimore, in the county of Baltimore and State of Maryland, have invented new and useful Improvements in Apparatus and Process for Canning and Preserving Meat, Fruit, Vegetables, 850. 5 and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing making a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view.

Figure 2-is a vertical section.

Figure 3 is a vertical section, showing one form of the device as adapted to the exhaustion of a single vessel.

Figure 4 is a vertical section, showing another form adapted to a similar purpose.

Figures '5 and 6 are perspective views, showing different forms of bottles or flasks adapted for use in connection with my exhausting apparatus.

Figures 7 and 8 are perspective views, representing the stopples of the flasks shown in figs. 5 and 6.

Figure 8.is a perspective view of the elastic air- .cushion employed with my apparatus.

The object of my invention is to provide for public use an improved apparatus for readily and easily exhausting atmospheric air from any number of vessels simultaneously, with or without the application of heat thereto, for the purpose of scientific experiment, and for domestic use in preserving; meats, fruits, vegetables, &c.

The apparatus is designed to substitute gases for the atmospheric air exhausted from vessels, and pertains alsoto certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts, and to novel processes, as hereinafter described. To this end,

'My machine consists ,First, of a peculiarly-constructcd receiver of an airpump, through the plate of which, from beneath, are

passed the mouths (V-necks) of the vessels containing the substances to be subjected to its action, which vessels thus penetrating the receiver are, of course, exhausted simultaneously therewith. The receiver contains also a mechanism for stopping the vessels thus entering it while in. vacuo, andis constructed very carefully with a view to the economy'of space covered, so asto make it, as near as may be, a mere channel for the exhaustioi'i of these secondary receivers.

Second, of-one or more frames or carriages for supporting the vessels to be exhausted, and applying them to and securing them in .the openings prepared for.

in a tight chamber formed by the outer wallsof the apparatus, so as to be subjected to the action of heat or cold at will by means of a jet ofsteam or cold water. When the vessel; to be exhausted is very large, by means of a receiver adapted to. that'pnrpo-se, I apply it immediately to the vessel, constituting it (the vessel) a plate for the operation.

In the dra\ving B. is a box, providedwith a'cover, B, which is fastened upon it by any suitable means, I) b, and also provided with side doors, through which access may be .had to its interior, the-whole being made as perfectly air-tight when closed as possible.

TC is 'a car or stand sliding or'running on Wheels into the box B, for thepnrp'ose of supporting and adjust; ing the bottles or flasks F F, which are to be exhausted. The latter are stepped in or upon a platform, D, which caiLbe raised or lowered by turning a screw, (1, by means of a hand-wheel, d.

'lhebottles are held in an upright position by means of a guide-plate, D.

Conical apertures are made in the cover B, directly over the flasks, which allow the necks of the flasks, when they are raised, to project upthrough the cover, the shoulders of the flasks fitting closely to the sides of the openings, so as to form an air-tight joint, and being packed in any suitable manner.

Among other packing devices, the annular rubber air-cushion dd, figs. 2, 4, 5, and 9, may be employed, being adjusted upon the shoulders ofthe flask so as to fit closely against the under side of the cover around the apertures, asrepresented in figs. 2 and 5, or attached to the under side of the cover B.

In connect-ion with the'apparatus abovedescribed, I employ a receiver, A, which fits air-tight upon the cover or plate B, over the mouths of the flasks. It is made of any required length and width, but not more than two or three inches deep, so as to inclose the smallest practicable space. A screw-stem, A, projects down into it, provided with a hand-wheel, A", and serves to raise or depress a platform, G'r, within it.

The platform is composed of crossed bars, and is kept in a horizontal position at all times by means of guide-posts g g. It may be bothraised and depressed by means of the screw, or it may be raised by means of springs 1th.

A stop-cook may be'applie'd to the receiver at a, ca pable of being connected toan air-pump, a condenser, 01' a force-pump.

- exhausted by the pump as .far as possible.

A, stop-cock may also beapplied to box B ate, fig. 1, capable likewise of being connected to a steam or water-pipe.

The flasks may co'nsist'of glassbottles, 13 F, of the. usual form, provided with corks or stopples j, having a notch, 0, cut in ,their lower end; or they may consist of a metallic can, F, fig. 6, having a cap, f, provided with lateral perforations 6. Or, instead of the notched or perforated stopple or cap and the obvious of any ptacticablesizg apd when designedeto receive large objects a door or opening, H, may be constructed for the purpose of admitting the object, and may be properly closed and sealed afterward.

The best form of flask for most purposes is that represented in fig. 6, consisting-of a cylindrical sheetmetal body, having a conical bottom and top, surmounted by a short tubular neck, adapted to be closed air-tight'by a stopple or cap.

While this form of flask is best for many purposes, however,- any form may be used, according to the nature of the experiment or operation.

The space over plate B, up to the level of the mouth of the-flasks when they are in position, as seen in fig. 2, may be filled up in any suitable manner, so as-to diminish the air-space that must be exhausted.

It will be understood, of course, that all the joints about the instrument may be packed or rendered"airtight by any of the usual appliances for that purpose.

As thus constructed, the instrument is designed for exhausting the airfrom several flasks at once, and its operation for that purpose is as follows:

. The flasks, filled or partially filled with the substance to be preserved, having been placed in posit-ion, as shown in fig. 2, and the stopples or caps being placed upon them, but not pressed down,'so that the air within them can escape through thenotch c or openings 0' c, the platform'G is placed in the guides and the receiver A fitted on. An air-pump is then connected with the receiver by means of the cock "attached at a, and the air within the receiver and in the flasks is The platform G is then depressed till it comes in-contact with the stopples or caps, forcing them down and closing the flasks air-tight. The receiver may then be taken 0d the box B, opened, and the flasks removed.

In certain. cases, as in preservation of dead bodies, the air is exhausted, and its place filled with some gas in which decomposition of the subject cannot take place. In that case the process with my apparatus is to exhaust the air as above described, and then dctach the air-pump and attach in its place the pipe through which the gas is to be supplied, leaving the gas to flow freely in and occupy the flask or other vessel untilan equilibrium of pressure is established between the gas within and the air without the vessel. There will then be no tendency to a displacement of the gas, either by its pressure to escape or by the pressure of the air to enter, and the equilibrium thus established will continue for any length of time.

If preferred, the gas may be forced in under heavy pressure, so as to cause it to permeate every part of the substance in the flasks. to escape till an equilibrium is established, when the flask may be closed and sealed. Of course, where it might be deemed necessary, the flask could'be closed and sealed with the gas within under pressure, in which case, although some of the gas could, perhaps, afterward force its way out of the flask, yet no air could enter, and the subject would be'perfectly preserved for anindefinite length of time.

It may then be allowed My apparatus is adapted to the use of heat and cold in connectionivith the processes above-described. In canning fruits, vegetables, &c., I inject a' jet of steam into box B, through cock (0, which, under the diminished atmospheric pressure, raises the temperature around the lower end of the .cans' sutficiently to cause them to boil, although not sulflciently to cook their contents. The ebullition thus caused effectually expels such air as may not have been exhausted, and when this has been accomplished the steam is shut oh and the cans closed and removed, as before.

In case the aid of a steam-jet is resorted to for the purpose of rendering the vacuum more complete when gas is afterward to be introduced into the flasks, I 'may, after shutting ofl" the steam and connecting the cold water or spray, to cause a sudden decrease of temperature and shrinkingof the contents of the flasks. This will cause the gas more freely and eflectually to enter the flasks and permeate their contents from top to bottom.

But the special advantage of the process consists in this, that when the contents of the flasks have taken; up or received all the gas which canbc readily forced in, a jet orstream of cold water let into the box, or directed upon the flasks themselves, will cause a contraction of their contents and a condensation thereof, which will create a slight vacuum for the admission of an additional quantity of gas. This done, the corks are forced in at once.

Having thus described some of the processes by which scientific specimens, dead bodies, meats, fruits, vegetables, &c., may be preserved by the use of my apparatus, it remains now to describe a simpler form thereof, which can be employed when but a single vesest utilityin removing the air from burial-cases, barrels, and other larger reservoirs or receptacles, including even railway cars and the holds of ships, as well as the smaller flasks, bottles, 850., heretofore described. This form of apparatus is shown in figs. 3 and 4, and consists of a single receiver, A, of glass or other suitable material, having an opening or cook, ct, on one side, to which to attach the air-pump or gas-pipe, and resting on a plate, B, fig. 3, adapted to accommodate necks of the bottles, F F, as heretofore described, or to be set upon the barrel, burial-case, or other receptacle, J, fig. 4, which is to be exhausted.

NVhen set directly upon the vessel to be exhausted the annular rubber air-cushion, E, is introduced between them, the air-cushion resting on the barrel or vessel around the air-opening therein, and the bottom of receiver A resting upon the cushion. The cushion will accommodate itself to anyunevcnucss in the shape.

which rests upon it should not sit vertically, or should accidentally be jostled or inclined during the operation, it will merely force some of the air from one side of the rubbcr riug to the other, preserving the joint perfectly air-tight all the while. Thus attached, the pump is connected and the. air exhausted, as above described.

The stopple or cap may then be forced into the neck of the vessel by screwing down the rod A, figs 3 and 4.

If at any time desirable to remove them without letting the air into the receiver again, or to manipulate them in any way, it may be readily and easily done by means of an interior screw-stem, 8, extending down through the centerof the rod A, and bearing at its lower end any suitable device for grasping and turning or withdrawing the cork, stopple, or cap. There are certain modifications in the details of con struction shownin the drawing which it might be well here to refer to, although they are not essentials of the invention. For example: the platform Gr might be made of wires or ofaboard-perforated at suitable "gas-pipe, as described introducc into box-Bajetof sel is to be exhausted, and which will be of the greatof the vessel, as shownin fig. 4; and if the receiver points, as well as in many other ways; and, instead of having the bars directly over the stopples or cans, they may be so arranged that when the platform is depressed thebars composing it will come between the necks of the cans or flasks and partially fill the open space there shown in the drawing. \Vhen thus constructed the upper side of the platform should be covered with a thin sheet or plate of wood, metal, or other material,like that shown at m, but broader. This plate will strike and adjust the stopples while the bars serve to fill up the vacant spaces, and thereby diminish the extent of the space to be exhausted or to be filled with gas.

Again, it is obvious that the functions performed by the several screw-rods might, though perhaps not as well, he performed by sliding rods, or rods and levers suitably packed. The platform D might thus be raised and lowered, as well as the platform G. If preferred, two or more screws instead of one might be used to raise and lower the several platforms.

Railways, 1' may be employed upon which to run the car or box 0 into or out of place, and such railways may be attached to one of the side or end doors of box 13, or to a sliding inner floor or false bottom of box B, or in any other suitable way.

' Having thus described my invention,

\Vhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Let- I ters Patent, is-- Y 1 The flask F, constructed as described and shown, and for the purpose specified.

2. The stopples ff, when constructed with notches or holes and adaptcdto be employed in connection with the flasks, substantially as described and for the purposes set forth.

3. The combination of box B, receiver A, and plate B, provided with tapering apertures to receive the necks of the flasks, substantially as described.

4. The vertically-movable platform D, arranged in the box, in combination with the box B, plate B, and receiver A, substantially as described. p

5. The vertically-movable platform G, arranged in the receiver, in combination'with the box E and plate B, substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.

6. The combination of box B, car 0, platform D, guide D, and screw-rod, or equivalent, (1, as and for the purposes set forth.

7. The combination of receiver A, fig. 3, with the rods A s, and a device at thebottom of the latter for the purpose of grasping thecork or stopple, substantially as described.

8. The process herein described of exhausting atmospheric air from vessels to which heat is applied, and then condensing the contents of the vessels by applying cold through the medium of water in a stream or spray, as described.

, p NIOHS. H. SHIPLEY,

Witnesses:

OHAs. A. PETTIT, Tnos. D. D. OURAND. 

